TORONTO CYCLING - Key Persons
Beth Savan has cycled to school, to work, and to have fun most days for the past 45 years. She was the inaugural Sustainability Director at the University of Toronto, where, for eight years, she was responsible for establishing the Sustainability Office and managing its staff, for engaging over three thousand students a year in sustainability activities on campus, and for overseeing energy and resource conservation programs. Under her watch, and with support from the Sustainability Office, BikeChain, a cycling promotion hub and workshop was established and has flourished.
For seven years, Beth directed the Environmental Studies Programme at Innis College, University of Toronto. She has served as Research Director and Undergraduate Coordinator for the Centre for Environment and has a cross-appointment in the Geography Department and in the Masters in Planning Programme. She is an award winning teacher and has developed the Centre for Environment's new course on Institutional Sustainability.
Beth has been very active as a government advisor, on Environmental Non-Governmental Organization boards and on foundation grants committees. She is a Certified Professional Planner and chaired the Environmental Assessment Review Panel for the Ontario Minister of the Environment and co-chaired the City of Toronto's Sustainability Round Table. Beth has extensive policy consulting experience with governments as well as private organizations. She recently served on the Board of Directors of the Sustainability Network, Cycle Toronto and the Toronto Atmospheric Fund, where she co-chaired the Grants Committee. She also has broad experience in the popular media, where she has worked in TV, radio and print. In addition to a large number of scholarly publications, Beth has produced several award-winning radio series and has published two popular books, one for adults and one for children.
Beth obtained her Ph.D. in insect ecology from the Imperial College of Science and Technology at the University of London (England), and has received numerous large research grants, most recently to work on energy conservation on campus, on community sustainability locally, on climate change internationally, and on barriers and factors facilitating Community Based Research in Canada. Beth's research and practical work in managing programs to accelerate adoption of sustainable behaviours of students, staff and faculty on campus prepare her to do the same for cycling in Toronto and beyond. Beth cycles in Toronto with her husband and three children.
Job Titles:
- Cycling Economies Research Assistant
Job Titles:
- Cartographer and GIS Research Assistant
Job Titles:
- Urban Planning Research Assistant
Job Titles:
- Statistics Research Assistant
Job Titles:
- Cycling Economy Research Assistant
Job Titles:
- Cycling Economies Research Assistant
Job Titles:
- Cartography and GIS Research Assistant
Lucy Cui is currently pursuing her Master of Science in Planning at the University of Toronto and works as a research assistant/analyst for the Toronto Cycling Think and Do Tank. She holds a B.A. from McGill University in Environment & Development.
She has strong interests in active transportation, urban policy and governance, and issues of social and transit equity. She has previous work and research experience in projects related to urban sustainability, affordable housing, community-based placemaking, and participatory research methodologies.
At TCT2 she will be working in a range of capacities, including data/statistical analysis, report writing, map-making, and event coordination. She is enthusiastic about learning how to translate research into practical tools for planning practitioners and policy-makers.
Job Titles:
- Research Project Coordinator
​Michelle is an avid person-who-bikes, reader, and researcher. She graduated from U of T's Master of Science in Planning in 2017, where she researched the perception of safety related to active transportation in Scarborough. She also holds a B.A. from Glendon Campus, York U in Environmental and Health Studies. Michelle has experience in environmental policy, spatial analysis, transportation analysis, land use planning, and project management.
At TCT2, she coordinates and contributes to research on the SSHRC Insight and Indicators projects.
Job Titles:
- Cycling Economies Research Assistant
Job Titles:
- Research and Communications Coordinator
- Sustainability Planner
Ryan is an urban sustainability planner and current PhD student in Planning in the Department of Geography and Planning at the University of Toronto. Ryan has 8 years of experience working on policy development to support the planning of cities that are safe and accessible for pedestrians and cyclists. Ryan is skilled at international project management having worked in countries such as Canada, the United States, Tanzania, Japan, and Mexico. His current research focuses on the uptake of urban sustainability best practices in the context of equitable urban development in Latin America, with a specific focus on Mexico and Colombia. He has a MSc in Geography, Urban, and Environmental Studies.
At TCT2, Ryan is involved with integrating academic research results into practical takeaways for planning practitioners in Canadian municipalities.
Job Titles:
- Project Coordinator
- Project Manager
- Utoronto.Ca
Cha nge starts with individuals but spreads through organization. Organizations like the Cycling Think & Do Tank that blend academic, for-profit, and non-profit partners with common goals are leading social change.
An experienced project manager and publishing executive, Trudy returned to university to pursue an undergraduate degree focused on environmental studies and Canadian environmental history. She recently completed her Masters in History focused on environmental history of the Great Lakes region. She is skilled at nurturing, shaping, researching, marketing and implementing ideas, developing partnerships, and creating and executing effective and enjoyable project frameworks and communication strategies. Trudy is excited by the multi-sector and multi-disciplinary aspect of TCT2 and the potential of cycling as a keystone of sustainable urban living.